SIGNED F.P. JOURNE, OCTA QUANTIEME PERPETUEL 'BLACK LABEL' MODEL, NO. 052-QP, CIRCA 2016

The Black Label Collection version of any F.P. Journe model is always the most prized and difficult to obtain. Even among Black Label Collection pieces, the present Octa Quantieme Perpetuel is one of the rarest. Made only for a very short period before being discontinued, it is no longer available as part of the current Octa Quantieme Perpetuel collection and as such it can be considered as one of the great F:P: Journe rarities. Due to its extremely limited nature, Mr. Journe only offers Black Label Collection pieces to existing F.P. Journe watch owners. Encased in platinum with a black lacquered dial, each Black Label watch is personally checked by F.P. Journe before being allocated to a client. These timepieces were only available through F.P. Journe boutiques and each boutique received only between 2 and 12 Black Label Edition timekeepers each year (2 per model per year).

Octa Quantieme Perpetuel
The perpetual calendar is one of the most useful of all watchmaking complications, automatically taking into account the variable length of the months and four-year leap-year cycle. Unsurprisingly, F.P.Journe’s automatic perpetual calendar, the Octa Quantième Perpétuel presents a highly distinctive and individual aesthetic compared to the perpetual calendar watches of other brands. The F.P.Journe Quantième Perpétuel is very easy to use, with all corrections except for the quick adjustment of months, which is facilitated by a protected and hidden corrector lever beneath the lug at 1 o'clock, being made via the three-position crown. F.P. Journe describes the Quantième Perpétuel succinctly: “A movement able to identify leap years has a real mechanical memory. A small toothed planet wheel connected to the month’s mechanism performs a complete rotation in four years. During the fourth year, this mechanism displays 29 February before directly moving on to 1st of March. Just as the moon moves around the Earth, this planet wheel rotates on its own axis resting on a swivel wheel. This complication, which is both useful and demonstrates technical prowess, is one of the masterpieces of the watchmaking art.”